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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25295470">Love Me, Normally</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neo_Naughtager/pseuds/Neo_Naughtager'>Neo_Naughtager</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Jroleplay (The Centricide Webseries Roleplay), The Centricide (Webseries)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boyfriends, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Existential Crisis, Fluff without Plot, Forehead Kisses, Gentle Kissing, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Insecure RadCen, M/M, Moderate Lee Has OCD, Rare Pairings, This is one hell of a rarepair, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trauma Bonding, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships, a touch of angst because nothing is sacred, just soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:14:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,356</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25295470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neo_Naughtager/pseuds/Neo_Naughtager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Radical Centrist is having a bit of a crisis, maybe someone can help him think more... moderately about the situation.</p><p>In which cuddles are in fact the best medicine.</p><p>{Enjoy this Jrole Play adjacent lil drabble}</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>ModCen, Moderate Lee &amp; Radical Centrist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love Me, Normally</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The trek up to the apartment through the rain was- pretty average to say the least. Arms laden with groceries(mostly hot pockets and frozen dinners, grilling items as well), Moderate Lee somehow managed to get through the door with minimal exertion. He takes himself to the kitchen, placing down his multiple items with a sigh. Something was... a little off. Modlee could sense change from a mile off and something wasn't fitting in to his usual schedule. Radical Centrist should have greeted him by now- he knew the lead centrist was home. So... where was he?</p><p> </p><p>"Rad? Radcen, I'm back!" the moderate calls- not too loud of course, just loud enough for him to be heard.</p><p>... Nothing.</p><p>Well, this was going to prove to be bothersome. But there was no way Rad would just... not conform to the rituals of their status quo. Sure, a few weeks of domesticism weren't much in the grand scheme of things, but there was safety in the rhythm of the everyday grind. And Lee was determined not to miss a beat.</p><p> </p><p>So there he went, scouring about the apartment for the lead centrist- which wasn't a very large space, but his meticulous actions did draw out the process a bit. Checking to see if the door was closed properly six times exactly was imperative in stopping- something. He wouldn't think about it. Moderate taps his finger idly on his overton window in a steady waltz, calling out for Radical Centrist every now and again. One-two-three, one-two-three, continuing as Lee wandered about the apartment, eventually coming to their shared room. It was Rad's idea that they share a room together, and Modlee not being one to argue agreed pretty quickly. It was the simple thing to do- and gave him less to worry about when Radcen made all of the decisions. The less he worried- the better.</p><p> </p><p>It took him a moment to see him, but when he did, Lee crept into the room, still tapping on his window. Radcen was sprawled out on their bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.</p><p>"Uhm... Rad? Raddie, are you good?" Mod grips the edges of his overton window for a bit of support. "You didn't come and talk when I got here, so I kinda sorta maybe got a bit concerned?" Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lee offers a smile. </p><p>Blinking ever so slowly behind thick sunglasses, Rad turns to face the other centrist- a dull look on his face.</p><p>"Oh, Lee? You're back already? I... didn't know.." </p><p>The tone of the lead centrist's voice was dull, not at all as radical as it usually is. This was a change that was glaring- and just wouldn't do.</p><p>"Are you... kind of okay?" The moderate drew himself to a reasonable distance closer, fingers tapping a bit faster on the nebulous surface of the overton window in hand. “You aren’t sick or something, are ya?”</p><p>Huffing dramatically, the colorful centrist simply rolls over, burying his face in a pillow. "Well, what's okay? What's anything?</p><p>“Did... did something happen when I was away?” Lee asks, a worried looked overcoming his face. “Oh god- I could have sworn I did everything-”</p><p>"It's not your fault…” </p><p>Caught right on the brink of panicking, the moderate pauses, if only briefly. “...huh?”</p><p>"It's not your fault.” He repeats, louder. “I'm just having an... unk00l day kinda…”</p><p>“Was it one… one  of the extremists?” Lee creeps closer, wrapping his hand around the other centrist’s- a scandalous act, if he ever saw one before.</p><p>"No, no... it's just dumb unradical brain shit going on…” The radical centrist sighs, sitting up and leaning against Lee with a slight squeeze of his hand.</p><p>The pair sit in silence for a moment, the only sounds being tender breathing and the taps of Lee’s fingers against his overton window. Eventually he opens his mouth to speak. “Well I'm always here if you wanna-”</p><p>"Do you know how hard it is to be sooooo radical and soooo centrist at the same time?” The radical whines, throwing his arms around the other centrist."Like honestly, consider it for a moment- yeah like wooo c00l, you can use any of the extremes to further the status quo- but it... it  just…” Radcen trails off, burying his head in the moderate’s shoulder, clinging to him tightly. With him this close, the faint smell of monster energy drink wafts off of him, something Lee would have found endearing at any other point in time. But not now.</p><p>"It… It doesn't feel like m3- none of it…”</p><p>After a moment of choked up noises, the radical centrist pulls away, wiping a few stray tears that trickled from behind his glasses. "And... sometimes I don't even feel like... like me ya know?” His hand was still entangled with Lee’s and he squeezes it again. "I... I sometimes wonder if it's even worth it- this whole upholding the status quo. what even is the status quo if i don't even know where i fit in it all?”</p><p>Oh, so therein lies the issue. Moderate Lee frowns, his fingers stopping their tapping on the window in hand. Rad was always thinking so much, poor thing. So, the moderate does the only thing he can think to do of in that moment and wraps his arms around him in a soft embrace. Hugs make things better, right? He lets his fingers pat softly at the top of the radical’s head, idly running them through his hair.<em> Pat pat </em>, everything is fine. “There, there... shh... it's ok…”</p><p>"Is it, is it really, Modlee?” The other centrist huffs. “I don't think things are even capable of being okay…”</p><p>This makes the moderate huff right back. What on earth was he even talking about? “Of course it's not ok! nothing is ever okay in the slightest!”</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Lee pulls back a little, holding the radical centrist’s face in his hands. “Look, let’s not be so hasty with all this talk of a purpose. If you worry about all these things, you'll just get sad and angry and depressed. There's nothing you or anyone else can do about anything... your place in the universe- who cares?” He leans in for a moment and soon enough plants a gentle kiss on Radcen’s forehead. “You're here, with me…” A soft smile </p><p>“... And that's perfectly ok.”</p><p>"But…” The radical centrist adjusts his glasses, trying to maintain a somewhat cool composure, although he nearly squeals at the kiss. “I uh- I still kinda feel like shit.”</p><p>The moderate shrugs, shifting slightly on the bed. “Just drown it out with pointless shit like the rest of us. Buy a new car or some videogames.” Lee pulls Rad a bit closer, the radical now resting his head on the moderate’s chest. “Let's just... take it easy, do what we're meant to, and die ignorant and happy.”</p><p>“Like... like normal people.”</p><p>Radcen simply accepts the affection without much thought, letting the moderate pet him softly. "Like... normally?”</p><p>“We've been doing it for centuries now!” Lee chuckles. “Why do anything you aren't forced to do?”</p><p>Another quiet moment passes before Radcen speaks again.</p><p>"... You know what, you're fucking right.” He says, just a hint of that normal playfulness back in his voice. “Pfft, my place in the un1v3rs3, what was I thinking about?”</p><p>Modlee smiles. “That’s the problem- You were thinking! Just stop doing that, and you’ll be fine.”</p><p>“Wow… You really are on to something there, Lee. You really are…”</p><p>He rests his head back on the other centrist’s chest, adjusting his sunglasses yet again. Lee didn’t even need to see them to know that adorable sparkle of radical mischief had returned to them.</p><p>“I guess, if you say so!” the moderate says, running his fingers through the radical’s soft brown locks. “Wanna just… watch 90’s reruns while I heat us up some dinner?”</p><p>“Yeah…” Radcen mutters, nuzzling close. “S0unds r4d…. but, hey, Lee?”</p><p>“Yeah, Rad?”</p><p>Radcen shifts a little, peering over his sunglasses and up at Modlee. “Can we just… stay like this for a little while?”</p><p>“Sure… Whatever you want…”</p>
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